Modi government softens controversial land ordinance as protests intensify

The Modi government has agreed to revise the Land Bill after widespread objections

Facing protests from all quarters on the land acquisition ordinance, the Narendra Modi government has agreed to do away with some of the contentious issues, keeping in mind the upcoming Assembly elections.

Sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed the Union government has decided that ‘consent’ will be sought from any gram panchayat for land acquisition, and the amendments will be revised during discussion in Parliament.

Earlier, the Centre had amended Section 10(A) of the Land Acquisition Act to expand sectors where social impact assessment and ‘consent’ were not required.

For five sectors, the ‘consent’ clause was removed. But Opposition and activists protested, saying the ordinance is “anti-farmer” because it seeks to scrap a social impact assessment and the need for the consent of 70 per cent land owners before any agricultural land is acquired.

While the Land Acquisition Bill will be introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the BJP’s parliamentary board met at Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence on Monday evening to discuss the strategy.

The party’s national president Amit Shah, and Union ministers Ananth Kumar and J.P. Nadda were present at the meeting.

According to sources, senior party leaders discussed ways to dispel the notion that the government was harming the interests of farmers.

Party insiders claimed that the government has decided to revise some of the changes proposed in the Amendment Bill. Sources said the government would engage with protesters, while as a strategy it will revise amendments, if any.

A top BJP leader said there were two clauses that are contentious: waiving off the consent clause; and the social impact assessment for public private partnership (PPP) projects and private companies.

The ordinance had done away with the requirement of consent from landowners for PPP projects in infrastructure and social infrastructure sectors.

The Centre on Monday also sought to allay fears, saying even farmers whose land was acquired for critical projects like atomic energy and highways will get compensation.

“By bringing this ordinance we have done something which would benefit all the farmers,” said Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.

Javadekar said: “Through the changes, rehabilitation and resettlement and compensation provisions of the Act will be applicable to Electricity Act...the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, the Petroleum & Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User in Land) Act and the Damodar Valley Corporation Act.”

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Modi government softens controversial land ordinance as protests intensify